Gandhinagar, May 14 (IANS) Sahdev Yadav has been unanimously elected President of the South Asian Weightlifting Federation, marking a key administrative development for the sport in the region following the federation’s election meeting held in Ahmedabad on May 12, officials said on Thursday.

Yadav, who currently serves as President of the Indian Weightlifting Federation, was chosen unopposed, a result the federation said reflected the confidence of member nations in his leadership and contribution to the development of weightlifting.

He also holds multiple international roles, including Treasurer of the Indian Olympic Association, Vice-President of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation, and Assistant to the President of the Asian Weightlifting Federation.

In his remarks after the election, Yadav thanked member nations and officials for their support and said the focus of his tenure would be on strengthening regional cooperation and advancing the sport through structured athlete development programmes, improved coaching standards, upgraded infrastructure and increased international exposure for athletes across South Asia.

The election meeting also confirmed other key appointments within the federation.

Ram Krishna Sreshtha, President of the Nepal Weightlifting Federation, was elected General Secretary.

Ibrahim Hameed, President of the Maldives Weightlifting Federation, and Sanka Ratnayake, President of the Sri Lanka Weightlifting Federation, were elected Vice-Presidents.

Sabina Yadav, Joint Secretary of the Indian Weightlifting Federation, was appointed Chief Executive Officer, while Shahria Sultana of the Bangladesh Weightlifting Federation joined the Executive Board as an Executive Board Member.

The newly elected team is expected to work collectively on development initiatives and coordination among member nations.

The Asian Weightlifting Federation welcomed the appointments and extended its congratulations to all elected office-bearers, expressing confidence that the new leadership would contribute to the continued development and promotion of weightlifting in the region.

The announcement came alongside India’s ongoing campaign at the Asian Senior Weightlifting Championships 2026 in Gandhinagar, where Ajith Narayana secured two bronze medals in the men’s 71 kg category on Day 4 of competition.

Narayana registered a total lift of 314 kg, including a best clean and jerk effort of 174 kg, to finish third overall.

The gold medal was claimed by Won Ju Ri of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with a total of 351 kg, while China’s Jian Chen took silver with 335 kg.

The men’s 71 kg category was the first to conclude on Day 4, with competitions continuing in other weight divisions.

The Indian Weightlifting Federation said Narayana’s performance marked an important contribution to the national team’s campaign at the championships.

–IANS

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